Conquest or collaboration? In Portuguese Malacca from 1511 to 1521

Abstract

When envisaging Portuguese colonization of Malacca, the swashbuckling conquest by Alfonso Albuquerque comes to mind. However, the reality was that the Portuguese, like any new foreign powers, was finding their way in Southeast Asia. There was no set manual on colonization and bringing under control large local populations. This thesis explores the modus operandi of the Portuguese whilst engaging the inhabitants of Malacca. The two main foci would be on the many instances of collaboration and continuity of practices. This engagement of the local rulers and traders was neither one of total dominance nor a breakaway from the sultanate's administrative methods. Moving away from the rhetoric of "Gold, Glory and God" as the reasons for the Portuguese coming to Asia, the challenge now is to explore how the Portuguese connected with the people. In so doing, hopefully, a better assessment of this first colonial experiment in Asia can be attained.